REGRET (the aftermath of the 5th year)
Chapter 4
"What do you mean he's not here?!? Lupin yelled at Harry's Aunt Petunia, who didn't seem to understand the seriousness of what she was saying.
"It's just what I said," she replied, "when we came home last night, we found his room completely destroyed, and him and all his things gone." A smile spread across Petunia's face, "Frankly, I'm glad. I don't mind having to clean the mess he made, as long as he's gone."
Lupin ignored this comment and pushed past her to get to the stairs. He needed to search Harry's room for something, anything that could tell where or why Harry had gone. Just as he was about to take the first step, Harry's Uncle Vernon pushed him back.
"Excuse me, sir, but I do no recall inviting you into out home." He said trying to intimidate Lupin.
"Excuse me, SIR," Lupin replied stepping closer to Vernon so he was within two inches of his face, "but unless you want to be turned into something so grotesque, not even your own mother would recognize you, I'd move," Vernon's eyes widened with horror, "NOW!!!" shouted Lupin as the final blow, and Vernon quickly moved to the side. "Thank you." He said coldly, then headed upstairs to Harry's room.
When he opened the door, he did indeed see that the room had been destroyed. All the dresser drawers were scattered all over the room, along with the desk drawers. One of the curtains was barely hanging onto the window while, as he found, the other had been torn off completely. The sheets that were once of his bed had been thrown all over the room, and as he began to walk in further he saw that there was an indentation on the wall with a brownish-red mark in the middle. He placed his hand on the mark and looked down to find more brownish-red marks all over the one bare spot on the floor. "Blood" he said to himself, then began to look over the room.
He could only assume the worst considering there was no note, or anything to indicate where he was. He took another step, and heard and felt something crack under his foot. He took a step back to see what he had stepped on and saw a small piece of glass that was now split in two. He picked up the pieces and held them in his hand for a second, then flipped then over and saw his own reflection. Pieces of a mirror, he thought, then placed them on top of the dresser, and began moving the sheets and drawers that were scattered all over the floor, looking for more pieces of the mirror, but found none.
All of Harry stuff WAS gone, including hedwig's cage and his firebolt. Well, at least I know he wasn't taken by anyone, he thought, "because anyone who wanted to take Harry away in a hurry, wouldn't have had the courtesy to take all his possessions with them." He continued, out loud. "Then, then he must've runaway." He looked again at the destruction in the room. Then Harry must have done this, he thought, but what could have made him so angry as to do all this? The second he thought that, he realized it was stupid question, what in Harry's life couldn't have made him lash out, or want to run away from it all? To forget everything that had happened to him? So much had happened.
Lupin look down at the ground, and began to shake his head slowly, then closed his eyes and covered them with his right hand. He needed to notify the Order that Harry was missing, which would be a difficult thing to do. For the past month, their top priority had been his safety and well being, so him being gone was a huge problem. But still, he needed to tell them.
He lifted his head, opened his eyes, and turned to look at the pieces of mirror on top of the dresser, which he picked up and put in his pocket. He could hear someone coming up the stairs, and assumed it was Vernon, considering the footsteps sounded heavy, and the boards on the stairs creaked with every step. He didn't feel like dealing with another one of Vernon's attempts at growing a spine, and quickly apprated to the Order headquarters.
When he arrived, he found it deserted. "Anyone here?!?" he yelled, but only heard a slight echo of his voice, and a few pictures that had begun to scream. He tilted his head down slightly and began to search his mind, for any place he could find at least one member of the Order. "Molly should be home." He said to himself, then apprated once more so that he was now facing the front door of the Burrow.
He took a breath in and out, and raised his hand to knock on the door, but for some reason he couldn't and dropped his hand back down to his side. How am I supposed to tell her? He thought. Mrs. Weasley had always thought of Harry as another one of her children. Lupin could remember her reaction to Percy's leaving the family, how hurt she had been and still was. He could not imagine how she would react to finding out that another one of her children, Harry, was now gone as well. But she had to know, he thought, she's going to find out eventually anyway. You might as well tell her now. He took another breath, lifted his hand and knocked on the door.
For a second there was no sound from inside, then he heard someone yell, "Hold on" from behind the door. Then the door opened and he saw that it was Ron. He had gotten taller; he was almost eye level with Lupin.
"Oh, hello Professor, how are you?" he said is a surprised voice, he didn't blame him; it wasn't often that he came to visit them.
"Fine, thank you," He replied, " Um, is your mother home, I need to speak with her." The expression on Ron's face had changed from surprise to worry, probably because of the tone of his voice when he said he needed to speak with his mum.
"Um, ya, hold on," he said, then turned from Lupin and yelled, "MUM!!!" He could hear someone coming down the stairs, then saw Mrs. Weasley walking down the last steps.
"Ronald Weasley, would it have killed you to come upstairs and get me instead of yelling?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
"Yes." He replied simply. Mrs. Weasley just rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, what is it?"
"Professor Lupin's here to see you." He answered, stepping aside so that she could see him.
"Oh, Remus, hello, come in. Come in." she said walking towards him. Ron moved behind the door so it would be easier for Lupin to get past him, and then closed the door when he was in all the way. She gave him a hug hello; Mrs. Weasley was never one to give a simple handshake. "Good to see you," she said with a smile, and then motioned to the table, "here, sit down. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you." He replied. Ron had sat down at the other end of the table, in front of a plate half-filled with food. Lupin's arrival had probably interrupted his having lunch. "I just came to talk to you about something."
"Yes? About what?" she said, with her back to him, placing some dishes that had been on the table, into the sink.
"It's," he paused. Just say it, Remus! He thought, "It's about Harry." Both Ron and Mrs. Weasley turned to look at him, both with looks of a mixture of fear and worry on their faces. Mrs. Weasley walked over to the chair opposite Lupin and sat down.
"Ron, go to your room." She said, still looking at him.
"But, Mum -"
"Now, Ron!"
"No, it's alright." Lupin said, stopping the argument before it began. "He should know too."
"What's happen, Remus?" She asked. From the expression of her face, she was probably him to say Harry had been severely hurt or killed. He looked her straight in the eye.
"Harry's missing." He said. Mrs. Weasley slowly raised her right hand over her mouth. "When I went to see him today," he continued, "his Aunt told me that when they arrived home last night, he was gone."
"They left him alone!" she exclaimed.
" 'Course they did." Ron said with a look of disgust of his face, "They don't give a rat's ass about Harry. They were probably happy that he was gone." They were, thought Lupin, but didn't say, because it would probably only make Ron angrier.
"Well, was there a note or, or something? Anything?" she said with hope in her eyes. It hurt him to have to tell her "no." She stood up and began to pace the room. He continued, "His room was completely destroyed," he said, watching her as she continued to pace, she was now shaking her head as well, "But I don't think he was taken by anyone." She stopped pacing and looked at him, her eyes wet with tears. He looked over at Ron, who looked like he had a thousand questions. "Harry's room was ransacked, but his things, all his things were gone as well. And I doubt that anyone who would have wanted to take Harry would have stopped and packed all his things before they left. I think he's just runaway."
"Run-runaway?" She said, placing her hands on the table. "But why would he do that?"
"Hmmm, I wonder." Ron added sarcastically, then looked back down at his food when Lupin and Mrs. Weasley both gave him a look that said "Shut up!" He then picked up his fork and began poking at his food. "Well, then where do you think he is?" he said, still not looking at them, "it's not like he had any place to go."
They were silent for a moment, thinking about what Ron had just said. It was true, though sad as well. Harry had no family, at least no one he considered family, and right now he was avoiding any and all contact with his friends.
"What about Diagon Alley, maybe he went to the Cauldron." Mrs. Weasley said hopefully. But Lupin just looked down at the table and shook his head.
"I don't think so," He said, "the only reason me and Harry went there so often was because it was the only place that was familiar to him, but he always hated the attention. He hated that people he didn't know would stare at him or ask to his scar." After saying this, Lupin began to think back, back to when things like that had happened. Harry would try desperately to comb his hair over his scar, but with his hair being so un-manageable, he would end up covering it with his hand and leaning on his elbow on the table. "I wish they'd stop looking at me" he'd tell Lupin, with anger and frustration in his voice. When they'd leave, he would look down at the ground so it would be harder for people to see his face.
Poor Harry, he thought, that must have been so hard for him, being treated like a tourist attraction. Lupin was staring blankly at the table when he felt something on his shoulder. He looked up and saw that it had been Mrs. Weasley placing her hand on his shoulder, with a look of concern on her face.
"You alright?" she asked kindly.
He looked back down at the table and replied, "Yes, it's just that," he paused for a moment, then continued, "I think the last place Harry would want to be right now is somewhere he'd be recognized."
***
Chapter 4
"What do you mean he's not here?!? Lupin yelled at Harry's Aunt Petunia, who didn't seem to understand the seriousness of what she was saying.
"It's just what I said," she replied, "when we came home last night, we found his room completely destroyed, and him and all his things gone." A smile spread across Petunia's face, "Frankly, I'm glad. I don't mind having to clean the mess he made, as long as he's gone."
Lupin ignored this comment and pushed past her to get to the stairs. He needed to search Harry's room for something, anything that could tell where or why Harry had gone. Just as he was about to take the first step, Harry's Uncle Vernon pushed him back.
"Excuse me, sir, but I do no recall inviting you into out home." He said trying to intimidate Lupin.
"Excuse me, SIR," Lupin replied stepping closer to Vernon so he was within two inches of his face, "but unless you want to be turned into something so grotesque, not even your own mother would recognize you, I'd move," Vernon's eyes widened with horror, "NOW!!!" shouted Lupin as the final blow, and Vernon quickly moved to the side. "Thank you." He said coldly, then headed upstairs to Harry's room.
When he opened the door, he did indeed see that the room had been destroyed. All the dresser drawers were scattered all over the room, along with the desk drawers. One of the curtains was barely hanging onto the window while, as he found, the other had been torn off completely. The sheets that were once of his bed had been thrown all over the room, and as he began to walk in further he saw that there was an indentation on the wall with a brownish-red mark in the middle. He placed his hand on the mark and looked down to find more brownish-red marks all over the one bare spot on the floor. "Blood" he said to himself, then began to look over the room.
He could only assume the worst considering there was no note, or anything to indicate where he was. He took another step, and heard and felt something crack under his foot. He took a step back to see what he had stepped on and saw a small piece of glass that was now split in two. He picked up the pieces and held them in his hand for a second, then flipped then over and saw his own reflection. Pieces of a mirror, he thought, then placed them on top of the dresser, and began moving the sheets and drawers that were scattered all over the floor, looking for more pieces of the mirror, but found none.
All of Harry stuff WAS gone, including hedwig's cage and his firebolt. Well, at least I know he wasn't taken by anyone, he thought, "because anyone who wanted to take Harry away in a hurry, wouldn't have had the courtesy to take all his possessions with them." He continued, out loud. "Then, then he must've runaway." He looked again at the destruction in the room. Then Harry must have done this, he thought, but what could have made him so angry as to do all this? The second he thought that, he realized it was stupid question, what in Harry's life couldn't have made him lash out, or want to run away from it all? To forget everything that had happened to him? So much had happened.
Lupin look down at the ground, and began to shake his head slowly, then closed his eyes and covered them with his right hand. He needed to notify the Order that Harry was missing, which would be a difficult thing to do. For the past month, their top priority had been his safety and well being, so him being gone was a huge problem. But still, he needed to tell them.
He lifted his head, opened his eyes, and turned to look at the pieces of mirror on top of the dresser, which he picked up and put in his pocket. He could hear someone coming up the stairs, and assumed it was Vernon, considering the footsteps sounded heavy, and the boards on the stairs creaked with every step. He didn't feel like dealing with another one of Vernon's attempts at growing a spine, and quickly apprated to the Order headquarters.
When he arrived, he found it deserted. "Anyone here?!?" he yelled, but only heard a slight echo of his voice, and a few pictures that had begun to scream. He tilted his head down slightly and began to search his mind, for any place he could find at least one member of the Order. "Molly should be home." He said to himself, then apprated once more so that he was now facing the front door of the Burrow.
He took a breath in and out, and raised his hand to knock on the door, but for some reason he couldn't and dropped his hand back down to his side. How am I supposed to tell her? He thought. Mrs. Weasley had always thought of Harry as another one of her children. Lupin could remember her reaction to Percy's leaving the family, how hurt she had been and still was. He could not imagine how she would react to finding out that another one of her children, Harry, was now gone as well. But she had to know, he thought, she's going to find out eventually anyway. You might as well tell her now. He took another breath, lifted his hand and knocked on the door.
For a second there was no sound from inside, then he heard someone yell, "Hold on" from behind the door. Then the door opened and he saw that it was Ron. He had gotten taller; he was almost eye level with Lupin.
"Oh, hello Professor, how are you?" he said is a surprised voice, he didn't blame him; it wasn't often that he came to visit them.
"Fine, thank you," He replied, " Um, is your mother home, I need to speak with her." The expression on Ron's face had changed from surprise to worry, probably because of the tone of his voice when he said he needed to speak with his mum.
"Um, ya, hold on," he said, then turned from Lupin and yelled, "MUM!!!" He could hear someone coming down the stairs, then saw Mrs. Weasley walking down the last steps.
"Ronald Weasley, would it have killed you to come upstairs and get me instead of yelling?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
"Yes." He replied simply. Mrs. Weasley just rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, what is it?"
"Professor Lupin's here to see you." He answered, stepping aside so that she could see him.
"Oh, Remus, hello, come in. Come in." she said walking towards him. Ron moved behind the door so it would be easier for Lupin to get past him, and then closed the door when he was in all the way. She gave him a hug hello; Mrs. Weasley was never one to give a simple handshake. "Good to see you," she said with a smile, and then motioned to the table, "here, sit down. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you." He replied. Ron had sat down at the other end of the table, in front of a plate half-filled with food. Lupin's arrival had probably interrupted his having lunch. "I just came to talk to you about something."
"Yes? About what?" she said, with her back to him, placing some dishes that had been on the table, into the sink.
"It's," he paused. Just say it, Remus! He thought, "It's about Harry." Both Ron and Mrs. Weasley turned to look at him, both with looks of a mixture of fear and worry on their faces. Mrs. Weasley walked over to the chair opposite Lupin and sat down.
"Ron, go to your room." She said, still looking at him.
"But, Mum -"
"Now, Ron!"
"No, it's alright." Lupin said, stopping the argument before it began. "He should know too."
"What's happen, Remus?" She asked. From the expression of her face, she was probably him to say Harry had been severely hurt or killed. He looked her straight in the eye.
"Harry's missing." He said. Mrs. Weasley slowly raised her right hand over her mouth. "When I went to see him today," he continued, "his Aunt told me that when they arrived home last night, he was gone."
"They left him alone!" she exclaimed.
" 'Course they did." Ron said with a look of disgust of his face, "They don't give a rat's ass about Harry. They were probably happy that he was gone." They were, thought Lupin, but didn't say, because it would probably only make Ron angrier.
"Well, was there a note or, or something? Anything?" she said with hope in her eyes. It hurt him to have to tell her "no." She stood up and began to pace the room. He continued, "His room was completely destroyed," he said, watching her as she continued to pace, she was now shaking her head as well, "But I don't think he was taken by anyone." She stopped pacing and looked at him, her eyes wet with tears. He looked over at Ron, who looked like he had a thousand questions. "Harry's room was ransacked, but his things, all his things were gone as well. And I doubt that anyone who would have wanted to take Harry would have stopped and packed all his things before they left. I think he's just runaway."
"Run-runaway?" She said, placing her hands on the table. "But why would he do that?"
"Hmmm, I wonder." Ron added sarcastically, then looked back down at his food when Lupin and Mrs. Weasley both gave him a look that said "Shut up!" He then picked up his fork and began poking at his food. "Well, then where do you think he is?" he said, still not looking at them, "it's not like he had any place to go."
They were silent for a moment, thinking about what Ron had just said. It was true, though sad as well. Harry had no family, at least no one he considered family, and right now he was avoiding any and all contact with his friends.
"What about Diagon Alley, maybe he went to the Cauldron." Mrs. Weasley said hopefully. But Lupin just looked down at the table and shook his head.
"I don't think so," He said, "the only reason me and Harry went there so often was because it was the only place that was familiar to him, but he always hated the attention. He hated that people he didn't know would stare at him or ask to his scar." After saying this, Lupin began to think back, back to when things like that had happened. Harry would try desperately to comb his hair over his scar, but with his hair being so un-manageable, he would end up covering it with his hand and leaning on his elbow on the table. "I wish they'd stop looking at me" he'd tell Lupin, with anger and frustration in his voice. When they'd leave, he would look down at the ground so it would be harder for people to see his face.
Poor Harry, he thought, that must have been so hard for him, being treated like a tourist attraction. Lupin was staring blankly at the table when he felt something on his shoulder. He looked up and saw that it had been Mrs. Weasley placing her hand on his shoulder, with a look of concern on her face.
"You alright?" she asked kindly.
He looked back down at the table and replied, "Yes, it's just that," he paused for a moment, then continued, "I think the last place Harry would want to be right now is somewhere he'd be recognized."
***